As a continually growing appendage of the skin, hair is one of the body’s most metabolically-active tissues, and often reflects the first signals of internal disturbance.
Causes for hair loss may be an inherited ‘genetic’ condition, hormonal, nutritional, metabolic, physiological, autoimmune, psychological, or environmental, the taking of certain medication, the actions of a third party, or any combination of these.
Some hair loss problems may be temporary and self-correcting whilst others are corrected with nutritional, hormonal or lifestyle interventions.
Conditions such as genetic thinning can be stabilised but not cured – whilst others cause permanent hair loss due to follicle destruction.
With all these issues to consider - the training, experience, and depth of clinical understanding of your chosen practitioner is essential to a successful outcome for you.
Salespersons being paid commissions to ’sign you up’ to a ‘one treatment fits all’ hair loss program do not have these skills.
Whilst males can (and do) experience different forms of hair loss, overwhelmingly the most commonly seen problem is Male Androgenic Alopecia – male ‘pattern’ balding.
When a male has the genetic inheritance to exhibit androgenic alopecia, it’s a natural part of the same hormonal changes that gives him his facial & body hair, muscle bulk, & deepening voice. Statistics suggest it’s more common for mature-age males to exhibit some degree of androgenic alopecia than not.
Treating younger males is quite straightforward; the two legitimate approved medications being topical Minoxidil and oral Finesteride. I suggest these - and so do the commercial hair loss centres.
However I also fully assess the client for allergies/sensitivities, dietary and lifestyle habits, as well as some ‘hair-specific’ blood pathology before recommending or commencing treatment.
I regularly find - even in the young + fit - nutritional or metabolic disturbance that must be corrected for hair to grow optimally.
Establishing the cause/s of excessive hair loss in a woman can test the diagnostic skills of even the most experienced practitioner.
Nutritional-metabolic disturbance are the most common issues for younger females, whilst the hormonal-metabolic shifts of menopause can ravage the ‘crowning glories’ of senior ladies.
Female hair loss is often multi-factorial, and will sometimes require comprehensive blood testing - particularly for thyroid hormones. Sex and steroid hormone testing may be indicated, or functional liver detoxification profile, or complete digestive stool analysis - BEFORE any treatment is even considered.
If many medicos struggle with this - what hope for a successful outcome would you have consulting a ’salesperson’ for hair loss?
Because scalp hair loss in women is almost always an indication of internal dysfunction; a collapsing of body homeostasis to the point where hair growth can no longer be supported - ONLY suitably trained and experienced hair loss practitioners should be allowed to treat female hair loss.
In my years of Trichology practice I’ve spoken with many women (and males) who’ve wasted thousands of dollars on useless and inappropriate commercial treatments.
On the subject of cost I pose the following questions:
- Why do commercial hair loss treatments always seem to cost $$$thousands? Do you honestly believe this is the true cost of the treatment - treatment you can obtain from your local pharmacy - or is it just excessive profit return to these companies?
I suppose it could be argued they need to keep fees inflated to pay the six figure endorsement fees of their celebrities…
- Paying all or part of your ‘treatment’ up front - how necessary is this? You lose all financial bargaining power with respect to the course and success of your treatment by doing so.
If you were being treated by your family Doctor would you expect them to demand all fees for the next six, eight or twelve months ‘up front’? You’d be outraged - and rightfully so. What’s the difference?
- This incident always sticks in my mind, and is the perfect example of why this industry should be regulated: sending a young girl away with a year’s supply of Minoxidil (and told to come back when she’d used it all) … how irresponsible and dangerous is this?
This particular girl experienced an allergic reaction from the FIRST bottle, and never received a refunded cent of the $4000 she’d paid. Her hair loss was the result of a very inexpensively treatable Vitamin B12 deficiency.